Short Stories

Nothing But An Old Memory (Part 1)

Back when I was little I had a best friend named Laurence. He and I did everything together but that changed when his cousin Ryo became jealous.

"Hey, Laurence, who's that?" I asked as a black van pulled into his driveway. Laurence turned around and saw the van. His grip on my hand tightened when he saw Ryo get out of the car.

"That's my cousin Ryo. Whatever you do stay behind me" Laurence told me. I could tell by his voice him and Ryo didn't have a good past. As Ryo got closer to us Laurence had pulled me behind him.

"Hey Laurence and is that Lisanna behind you?" he asked.

"What do you want Ryo? Whatever it is leave her out of it" said, Laurence. Ryo laughed and looked at me with a grin.

"Oh, I'm here just to ask you if you want to get into football? Its a fun sport trust me. It also teaches you to respect others and to be nice" he said. I wasn't buying it but I could tell Laurence was thinking of it.

"I'll think about it but thanks. Come on Lisanna lets go find April and Ichigo to finish our game!" said Laurence. I nodded and off into the field we went.

That night Laurence and I talked about him getting into football. I told him it might not be a bad idea and that I would be there for every game. He nodded and decided to join his school's football team. The next day we went to his school and he signed up. As time past I noticed Laurence was growing distant. So once a month had passed I asked him what was wrong.

"Laurence!" I shouted as I got out of the car. He had been with Ryo that day. Once he heard my call he stopped and looked my way.

"What is it Lisanna?" he asked.

"Is everything okay?" I asked him

"Everything is fine I just learned in order to become a good football player I need to stop hanging with girls," he told me. I could see Ryo looking at me like he had won. I nodded at Laurence and ran off to my dad.

That year whenever my family came to visit I would always hope that what he said was all a dream but it wasn't. I never went to his football games like I had said. After a full year, I stopped coming around to his families place. The reason I hurt so much to see him like that was that I had wanted to be more than friends but because of my age, I had decided to wait. Every time my dad and my sisters went to their place I would go to my grandmas. After three years I finally got my first phone. The only two contacts on it were my dad and Laurence's older sister Lucinda. I called Lucinda up since it had been three years since I last heard from her.

"Hey Lisanna, what's up girl? Long time no see!" she said on the other end.

"Not much just living life as best as possible," I told her.

"Well, you need to come over more girl! I miss you" she said.

"I guess I'll come to visit this time," I told her and at that my dad told us to start packing for this weekend. I said bye to Lucinda and that weekend I went to their house. Once I got out of the car I was engulfed in a bear hug from Lucinda.

"I can't believe you actually came! Its been so long!" she said excitedly to see me. I nodded and got my stuff out of the car. Lucinda had dragged me to her room and I sat my stuff down.

"Wheres the boys?" I asked.

"Laurence is coming back from practice and the other two went with my dad to pick him up" answered Lucinda as she grabbed something out of her jewelry box. She then walked over to me and put it around my neck. "There now it's like you never left!"

I looked into her mirror to see what she was talking about and saw the necklace I got with her and Laurence years ago. There was three of them and each one of us got one. I started to cry from the painful memory.

"Yo Lucinda why didn't you tell me the two Lewis brats were here!" I heard a deep male voice call out. We walked into the living room to see Ichigo and April talking to one another. Freed and Zakuro grabbing a board game and a tall blonde haired boy standing in the dining room leading to the bedrooms.

"Cause I was catching up with an old friend!" said Lucinda as I stood behind her. The boy looked at the necklace I was wearing and smirked.

"So you finally came back huh? Long-time no see little Lisanna!" said the boy with a little smirk.

"Laurence," I said not looking at him. I could tell he had stopped smirking when he saw my reaction. Lucinda and I went back to her room and the next morning I got up early just like I usually do. I went out to the living room and put my shoes on. I went outside and climbed the old tree Laurence and I use to hang out around. I sat there and watched the sun come up.

"Oh, morning light please make this a good day like you always do!" I said to no one.

"So you still watch the sunrise?" I heard someone below me say. I knew it was Laurence.

"It was one of the memories that are still good from my past," I said looking out to nothing. I could feel a tear run down my cheek. I already knew no matter what I said I had lost my best friend.

"Well I thought after that year of my first football season that things could be the same between us but you left and never came back," he said. I heard the leaves crunch as he walked away. Its been that way between us since then.

I still came out to their place but only when Lucinda would call and let me know she would be there. Three years later I started high school and there was Ryo waiting for my arrival. To be honest I didn't care what he had to say anymore since he was the start of my bad life.

"Lisanna? I need to tell you something" he said looking down.

"Okay but you'll have to tell me along the way to class," I told him and he tagged along with me to class.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you and Laurence back then. To be honest I was jealous of my cousin. He had the girl of my dreams and because of that, I did something I never thought would end how it did. Lisanna, I loved you back then and I still do but I know you'll never see me in that way now" he admitted. I smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I appreciate you telling me this but you're right I won't be able to forget what you have done but I don't blame you either. Half of me wants to but the other half of me knows I'm just as at fault here since I fell for your trap" I said with a smile. He smiled as well and gave me a slip with his number on it.

"Call me tonight and I might be able to fix what I did to you and Laurence," he said. Just as he was about to walk away I grabbed his arm. Yes, I wanted my best friend back but that would be selfish so I told him the honest truth.

"It happened for a reason, Ryo. I've moved on now. Laurence isn't the same as he was in the past and neither am I. Getting us back to being friends is harder than it looks. I'm fine with how things are between everyone" I told him with a heartbroken smile. Ryo took one look into my eyes and nodded.

"I understand. It happened six years ago after all. I guess even if I tried to fix things because of the gap things won't work out. Can you and I at least stay on good terms?" he asked.

"Yes of course!" I said and with that, he left to class.

I'm doing better in life but the memory of Laurence and I sitting in that tree just watching the sunrise stays in my mind. If he and I are ever to be friends again it won't be until a long time.